The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I photographed this patch of lichen a few months ago on a bright, sunny day, and although I liked the image, I felt like the colors were a bit washed out. So, I returned on a cloudy, rainy day and captured this image. I’m not sure what initially caught my eye about it, but I like the cracks in the rock, the distribution of the different clusters of lichen, and the color contrast between the rock and the lichen.
Technical Details
Sony a6000, 70 mm, ISO 200, f/8, 1/125 sec. In Lightroom, made some light adjustments to brighten the image, made some color adjustments to try to draw out the aqua color of the lichen, tinkered with the texture and dehaze sliders, and added a light vignette. I feel like I could keep experimenting with the processing, but this is what I’ve arrived at for now. Would welcome any feedback and suggestions.
I’ve re-edited this image based on some of the comments:
Oh I love lichen photos. The cracks in the rock add a certain energy of action in a sense. Good focus and arrangement of the lichen groups. I like the green gradation from outer to inner sections. Contrasts nicely with the reddish rock and the square crop keeps it all contained. Good seeing this and going back. I could see adding a touch of dehaze for the rock face itself and seeing what that does.
I think that a prominent attribute of a successful abstract is to convey emotion unrestricted by the original subject. In this case, I grasped the subject immediately, but it was the starburst energy that instantly took over my senses. The color palette makes it a quiet energy, but to me this is only incidentally a photograph of lichen and stone. The subtle vignette helps to keep the eye from star-bursting off the page,
@Kris_Smith and @Dick_Knudson - Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I’m glad you both noticed a sense of energy in the image. That’s what I see too, and I suppose a lot of energy has gone into making this scene what it is, even if the rock and lichen seem static to the human observer. Thanks again for your feedback.
John, I like the paint splatter impression of the lichen with that bold line formed by the crack. Good eye to spot this composition. The even exposure from the cloudy conditions works well.
John, I find your image very effective. I love the cracks and the bursts. If I had taken this picture, the only thing I would have done differently would have been to process it a tiny bit more to negate the effects of the flat light. I hope you don’t mind, but I have taken the liberty to download and process your file. My edits are minimal, as I didn’t want to destroy the wonderful soft and “tapestry” look of your work, but I think they help to bring out the “energetic” quality of your work. Mainly, what I have done is to lighten the midtowns and add a touch of vibrancy. I have also lifted the black a bit, to decrease the overall contrast and give the image a lighter feel. I am splitting hairs here, but side by side in Lightroom I find these edits effective.
Hi @Adrien_Nieerhus - Thank you for your feedback and for taking the time to offer some suggestions. I like the changes you’ve made. I spent some time making adjustments and have posted a re-edited version above. The biggest changes I made were to lift the blacks and brighten the midtones as you suggested, as well as increase the exposure a bit. When I came back to this image after reading your comments, it struck me as pretty dark, so I like how these changes have brightened it up a bit. I also added a little dehaze to the rock face and added back a little saturation, which I had decreased in the original image. I think these changes help address the flatness you mentioned. I think the changes have definitely improved the image. Thanks again for your suggestions.
I saw many compositions like this on my just completed Alaska trip. I like the composition very much. I would try to warm up the yellows and oranges here and raise their saturation. I don’t know if that would be better of worse. I like to experiment quite a bit with subjects like this. The image looks a bit flat to me but that could be a valid presentation in itself. You could also darken the non lichen, the rock, and see if that pop is an improvement or starts to look garish.
